Villa de Leyva Day Trip from Bogota

Highlights

Inclusions

Itinerary

1. You will hardly find in Colombia a place that takes architectural preservation work as seriously as Villa De Leyva. This population was built by Spanish colonizers in 1572, and it gives the feeling that it remained frozen in time thanks to the way in which it has been preserved as a heritage town. The tour starts by picking you up at your hotel at 7:00 am. After a 3 hour drive, you will arrive at Villa de Leyva and tour its main highlights such as the enormous Plaza Mayor and Villa de Leyva's Cathedral with our knowledgeable guide. After visiting the village you will go to El Infiernito (little hell), an ancient Muisca observatory used to calculate the optimal time for harvesting. You will then have time to have lunch (at your own expense) before heading to the Blue Ponds, some vivid blue water reservoirs in the middle of the desert that contrast beautifully with the arid soil and vegetation around it. Optionally, you can visit the 7M long fossil of a Kronosaurus; a predatory dinosaur that lived 120 million years ago when this area was submerged under the ancient Atlantic Ocean. With so many things to do in this village, we highly recommend arranging at least a one-night stay here, as you can also arrange activities that can vary from hiking to natural parks, buggy races, horseback riding, bird watching, or visiting archaeological sites and museums. You will return to Bogotá via Ráquira. A picturesque and colorful village that has become famous for its long tradition of pottery work. This is a perfect place to make a stop on the way back and get some really beautiful handicraft souvenirs. You will be taken to your hotel in Bogotá arriving at approximately 7:00 pm.

   1 h

2. The tour starts by picking you up at your hotel at 7:00 am. After a 3 hour drive, you will arrive at Villa de Leyva and tour its main highlights such as the enormous Plaza Mayor and Villa de Leyva's Cathedral with our knowledgeable guide.

   1 hAdmission included

3. After visiting the village you will go to El Infiernito (little hell), an ancient Muisca observatory used to calculate the optimal time for harvesting.

   1 hAdmission included

4. You will then have time to have lunch (at your own expense) before heading to the Blue Ponds, some vivid blue water reservoirs in the middle of the desert that contrast beautifully with the arid soil and vegetation around it. Optionally, you can visit the 7M long fossil of a Kronosaurus; a predatory dinosaur that lived 120 million years ago when this area was submerged under the ancient Atlantic Ocean.

   1 hAdmission included

Cancellation

Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the experience starts, for a full refund.

Reviews

Ratings come from 18 reviews collected by our booking partner. They are travellers' own words, in the order they were written — never reordered to flatter the experience.

Know before you go

How it compares in Bogotá

• Its from-price is 210% above the median of the 846 experiences we list in Bogotá.
• It is longer than most of them.
• By number of reviews it ranks 168 of 846.
• The operator lists free cancellation on it.

About Bogotá

Bogotá, Colombia's capital, sits high in the Andes at around 2,600 metres, with a colonial old quarter, a famed gold museum and a hilltop church.

La Candelaria, the old quarter, lies at the foot of the eastern hills, with streets of colonial houses, galleries and murals around Plaza de Bolívar and its cathedral. The Gold Museum holds thousands of pre-Hispanic gold objects, and the Botero Museum shows the plump figures of Fernando Botero, who gave the city his collection. Above town, a funicular and cable car rise to Monserrate, a white church at over 3,100 metres.

Top-ranked sights in Bogotá: Plaza de Bolivar, Botero Museum (Museo Botero), Gold Museum (Museo del Oro).

See all 846 experiences in Bogotá